Means for electric-arc reactions on gases.



0. WEBER & G. SCHREIBER.

MEANS FOR BLEGTRIG ARG REACTIONS 0N GASES. APPLIOATION FILED MARJ, 1010.

1 2 smams-smm 1.

j bu

Patganfied Jan. 17, 191i 0. WEBER & G. SGHREIBER.

MEANS FOR BLEUTRIG ARC REACTIONS 0N GASES.

APPLICATION FILED MABUF, 1910.

Patented Jan, 17, 1911.

2. SHEETS-SHEET 2 OSKAR WEBER AND GUSTAV SCHBEIBER,

0F GBIESHEIM, GERMANY, ASSIGNOBS TO CHEMISCHE FABBIK GRIESHEIM-ELEKTBON, OF FBANKFOBT-ON-THE-HAIH, GER- MANY, A. CORPORATION OF GERMANY.

MEANS.FOR ELECTRIC-ABC REACTIONS 0N GASES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

Applieatiop filed March 7, 1910. Serial No. 547,779.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, OSKAR- Wnnnn and Gos'rav Scum-amen, subjects of the German Emperor, and residents at. Griesheim-on-the Main. Germany, have invented certain new and liseful Improvements inthe Means for Electrie-.-\rc Reactions on Gases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a process of and apparatus for generating and maintaining electric arcs of great length for carrying out. reactions of gases.

One of the most common forms of the electric are used in performing reactions of gases is the are which is generated within a. tubular body, in which the zone of the are is surroumled by a' coaxial layer of nonconductivc gas of lower tom Jerature, which layer is inclosed by the wa l of the tubular body and is thereby prevented from being radially expanded. In this system the direction of the flow of the gases is necessarily parallel to the direction of the are, and this is the case whether the arc is conducted in a perpendicular or horizontal direction, or along a curved path.

Experiments have shown that long and stable arcs can be produced between two electrodes disposed at a considerable distance apart, without inolosing the gas within a tubular body. and without causing the gas to flow in a direction parallel to that of the are. This is etfected'by forcing the gas through a series of slots and angularly against the are, whereby the are is deflected from its normal upwardly bowed form, in case it is horizontal, into a horizontal direction, and at the same time forced forward. Preferably the said slots are formed by a plurality of louvered plates'of refractory material which forms the bottom of a gas chamber, In this case the are if located horizontally below the said bottom and therefore normally is bowed upwardly, is deflected back into substantially horizontal direction, and at the same time is carried forward. The longer the series of slots in the bottom of the gas chamber is, the more can the are be lengthened by separating the electrodes, since the amount and the direction of the gas are constant. By such a flow fresh gases are continually supplied which form a continuous and substantially horizontal are, since these gases can enter the are from the side and pass through it, and are therefore prevented from again reentering the same. In this way, some of the decomposed gases are not again subjected to the are as in prior processes where the gases travel along the arc. Simultaneously, the treated gases are cooled by those gases'which do not pass the are. For the purpose of providing a. lateral guide for the gases which have passed the arc, and for preventing eddics,-the gas chamber is preferably mounted on a masonry structure provided with channels which are open at their bottoms and extend far enough in the direction of the flow of the gases as to prevent an irregular and backward How of the gases.

For the purpose of explaining the invention, several examples of apparatus embodying the same have been shown in the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters of references have been used in all the views to indicate the corresponding parts.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a bottom view. of the gas chamber which is provided with the devices for directin the gases against the are; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec tion on the line AA, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a. cross section on the line (L -C Fig. 2; Fig. i is a longitudinal section of the masonry base portion which is provided with channels for conducting the gases to a discharge pipe; Fig. 5 is a cross section on'the line E-F Fig. 4; Fig. (l is a vertical cross section showing another form of the gas chamber; Fig.7 IS a diagrammatical plan of the bottom 0 fthegas chamber illustrate'd in Fig 6; Fig. 8 shows a diagrammatical end View and plan illustrating another form of this invention; Fig. 9 shows a diagrammatical end view; and Fig. 10, a plan illustrating another form of this invent-ion. I

. Referring to the exampleof the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, the walls of an air tight gas chamber a are located on a masonry structure g. The said gas chamber has a box like form which is closed at its top and open at its bottom. The'bottom is formed of louvered stones or lates c of refractory material which provide inclined slotsor passages for the passage of the gases. These plates are secured to the side walls of the gas chamber a in an air tight manner by means of side pieces I). The

walls of the gas chamber are heated to the temperature of the preheated air supplied t-heretm and the heat imparted to the bottom by radiation is transmitted to the gases flowing through the same, so that the said gases are further preheated and the temperature of the bottom is held within suitable limits. instead of a bottom of noncondu tivc material a bottom of metal may be used, which may temporarily be connected to one of the electrodes for the purpose of starting the a re. lctween the electrodes e an electric arc f formed. The gas is supplied (though. a Pipe (Z, and the gases of the reaction escape through a pipe 7:.

The bottom of the apparatus is preferably.

divided so as to form a ilurality of longitudlnally extending cham ers g as SllOWIl'lll Fig. .5. Each of these chambers is provided with a set of electrodes e arranged to form an arc f, which extends longitudinally of the chamber. Above each of the chambers is located a gas supply chamber or provided with directing passages or nozzles as shown in Fig. 2, and supplied with the gases by the branch pipes 1i leading from a common supply pipe D. The chambers 9' can all discharge into a common end chamber h from which the treated gases are withdrawn by means of a main discharge pipe ll.

In the operation, gases are supplied to the supply chamber or chambers a and directed by the nozzles formed by the louvered plates at an acute angle to the length of the are so that the gases will pass through the arc and will be thoroughly subjected to its action and passed in the direction of the outlet. In this Way, it is insured that the gases will be thoroughly treated. At the same time, the treated gases after having once been subjected to the action of the arc will not again come into contact with the same as in prior processes, where the gases pass along the arc, but the treated gases are wit-la drawn quickly so that they are protected against decomposition. Atthe same time, by supplying the gases in excess, the gases are thoroughly cooled, thus providing further protection against decomposition. By constructing the chambers g narrow,'eddics are prevented.

The bottom of the chamber a is not necessaril lane as is shown in Fi s. 1 to but it may .be constructed in the form of a vaulted roof. In this cas the gases need not necessarily be discharged over the whole area of the bottom, but the gases may enter at one side of the bottom in such a way that "they are simultaneously directed upward and against one of the electrodes. In this case the gases to be subjected to the reaction must. escape at the opposite side of the bottom into a larger chamber after having carried the arc forwagd a certain distancc.. Therefore they are not conducted parallel to the are over the whole length of 'samc.

the same, but atan angle thereto; li'hereby a decomposition of the gases formed by the reaction is avoided.

In order to enable the louvered roof shaped or vaulted bottom to act as a blowing apparatus. the slots formed between the said latcs are closed over a part of their lengtli as is indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. In this case a new jet. of gas enters through each slot, and a corresponding amount of gas escapes at a point. which is opposite and forward of the slot. The angle at which the gases strike the arc is such that the gases remain within the are only as long as is necessary for being subjected to the reaction.

Instead of the construction shown in which the gas is forced angularly into the reaction chamber through a louvered bot tom, a blow pipe 92, Fig. 8, may be provided which is located at the side of the arc and which forces the gas along the arc in the same way as the slots rovided inthe bottom. In this case the covered bottom can be replaced by a plane vaulted roof 1 and the gas flows below the roof in a forward direction while simultaneously ascending along the vaulted roof. The are is formed centrally of the channel provided by the roof and it is prevented by the gases from coming in contact with the bottom.

Expe iments have shown that the gas in closing the arc does not need any confining wall at all. such is provided by the bottom or the roof. paratus of the character shown in :1 diagrann'natical way in Figs. 9 and 10, an arc can be produced which burnperfectly free .withoutbcing inclosed by a wall of any which the gases are forced angularly against the are as shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

An are produced in accordance with this invention burnsv almost without any coronal whatever; and it therefore acts on'the gases almost without any res-decomposition of the Besides the efi'iciency of the are which is thus greatly cooled is very high. As the temperature of the arc is very high and can be cooled considerably, its chemical action is very strong. For this reason this are is particularly adapted for carrying out gas reactions, and more particularly for producing oxids of nitrogen from air.

In this process not all the gas supplied through the blowing apparatus is subjected to the reaction, so that a somewhat diluted -mixture of gases is produced, but this drawrrnti'on is not limited to the embodiment described, but that the invention may be embodied in processes in which the arc has other directions.

Claims: .j l. The process of sub ecting gases to the action of an electric arc, comprising directthe length hf the arc.

l. The process of subjecting gases to the action of an electric arc, coi'nprising supplying the gases from one side and directing them on the arc at an acute angle to its length, and Withdrawing them from the other side and in the-direction .of the movement given to the gases assupplied.

5. The process otsnbjecting gases tothe action of an electric arc, comprising supplying the gases to the arc in excess for the purpose oil cooling, and directing; them on the are at an acute angle to its length.

6. In an apparatus for subjecting gases to the action of an electric arc, the con'lbii'iation with a set of electrodes adapted to establish an arc, oil means for directing gases on said are at an acute angle to its length.

7. In an apparatus for subjecting gases to the action of an electric arc, the con'il'iination with a set of electrodes adapted to establish an arc, of means for directing gases on said are at an acute angle to its length, and

means for withdrawing the treated gases in a direction given the gases by the directing means. i

8. In an apparatus for subjecting gases to the action of an electric arc, the combination with a casing, of a set of electrodes adapted .to establish an arrv therein, means for su pplying gases to said casing, and nozzles on sa d casing tor directing the on the are at an acute angle to its length. i

9. In an apparatus for subjecting gases to the action of an electric arc, the combination with a casing, of a set of electrodes adapted to establish an-arc therein a plurality oi lourertajlplates on said casing forming directing nozzles, 11nd means "for supplying gases to said nozzles.

10. In an apparatus for subjecting gases to the action of an electric arc, the combina" tion with a casing, of a set of electrodes adapted to establish an arc thereon. a Wall in said casing; extending along the are and having a plurality of nozzle openingstornied therein. and. l'neans for supplying gases to said nozzle openings.

11. In an apparatus for subjecting gases to the action of an electric arc, the coml'vina tion with a casing, of a set out electrmlcs adapted to establish an arc tl'ierein. n'ieans for supplying gases to said casing and for directing said gases at an acute angle to the length of the are, and means at one end oi said casing for withdrawing the treated gases in a direction given the same by the directing means.

12. In an apparatus for subjecting gases to the action of an electric arc, the combination with a casing having a plurality of longitudinally extending chambers, of electrodes adapted to establish arcs'dongittnli nally of said chamber, and means for di resting gases on said arcs and at acute angles to their lengths.

' In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. i

' 'OSKAR WEBER.

GUSTl-LV SCHREIBER.

Witnesses FRANZ HAssTLAct-Inn, ERWIN DIPPEL.

ill

till 

